Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelizaton of Peoples, has tested positive for coronavirus upon his arrival in Manila yesterday.

This was confirmed by the Holy See Press Office in a report published by Vatican News on Friday evening.

Cardinal Tagle, who is also the president of Caritas Internationalis, is asymptomatic and currently under quarantine, the Vatican said.

In the meantime, the necessary checks are being carried out on those who have come into contact with the cardinal in the past few days.

Although he has a residence at the Congregation, Cardinal Tagle has been staying at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino since his arrival in Rome in February.

The 63-year-old cardinal was in Italy’s city of Turin in early August to take part in the episcopal ordination of the new Apostolic Prefect of Mongolia, Msgr. Giorgio Marengo.

The Vatican said that Cardinal Tagle had already undergone a Covid-19 swab test in Rome on Sept. 7, which turned out to be negative.

On September 8, he also led an online recollection for Filipino Covid-19 frontliners organized by Caritas Philippines and Cebu-based Dilaab Foundation.

Cardinal Tagle has become the first Roman curia dicastery head to have contracted the virus.

His last meeting with Pope Francis in a private audience was August 29.